First Thing: Minnesota girl, 10, released from ICE custody after a month in detention | US news

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A 10-year-old Minnesota girl, one of hundreds of children detained at the facility, was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a month in custody in Dilley, Texas, school officials said.

Fourth-grader Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano and her mother walked free from an immigration detention center Tuesday night. Elizabeth and her mother were taken away by federal agents on January 6; This was the first of five students from the Columbia Heights area detained by ICE. School officials said the family, originally from Ecuador, has an active asylum case.

Meanwhile, White House border official Tom Homan said about 700 federal agents would leave Minnesota, a major reduction in the number of agents in the field, but about 2,000 would still remain there, well above typical levels for the state.

• What are the conditions like in the detention center? Federal officials have confirmed that there is now a measles outbreak in Dilley, where the families live.

• What did the judge say? On Monday, federal judge Fred Biery for the Western District of Texas issued an order blocking the removal or transfer of Elizabeth and her mother, giving the federal government five days to respond to the family’s petition for release. “This didn’t have to happen… They did everything they had to do and yet they found themselves detained and separated,” he said.

Stories you may have missed from the Epstein files

Journalists are still pouring over millions of pages of files released by the Department of Justice. Its inclusion in the files does not imply wrongdoing by Jeffrey Epstein or that he was known to have committed wrongdoing; but the files often provide extraordinary detail about the extent of his network.

Here are some stories you might have missed:

• Brad Karp resigns as chairman of powerful law firm Paul Weiss Following the revelation of extensive communications with Epstein.

• The documents provide high-level insight into Epstein’s close relationship with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Bannon served as a mentor for Epstein’s media appearances.

• The British prime minister is fighting for his political future amid outrage over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Epstein. It was revealed that Mandelson leaked confidential information to Epstein while he was a minister.

• Bill Gates said he “regretted” knowing Epstein. Ex-wife Melinda French Gates spoke of the “dirt” in their marriage and said the Microsoft founder had questions to answer.

• This release included Epstein’s full “house manual” detailing the strict, cult-like requirements for staff at his Florida mansion. They were expected to “see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.”

‘Serious moment’: UN chief warns end of US-Russia nuclear deal coming at worst possible time

The UN secretary-general has called on the US and Russia to sign a new nuclear arms control agreement as the current agreement expires in what António Guterres called “a serious moment for international peace and security”.

The New Start agreement, the last nuclear deal between the two powers, expired on Thursday, sparking fears of a global arms race. It limited each side’s nuclear arsenal to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads; This was a nearly 30% reduction from the previous limit set in 2002.

• What did Guterres say? “For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the two states that possess the overwhelming majority of the global nuclear weapons stockpile,” Guterres said on Wednesday.

In other news…

• At least 21 people, including six children and seven women, were killed in Israel’s tank bombardment and air strikes in Gaza. Israel stopped the evacuation of patients from the Rafah border crossing just two days after it reopened.

• 59-year-old Ryan Routh, who tried to assassinate Donald Trump on a golf course in Florida in 2024. He was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.

• Stunning Starbucks baristas address customers To delete popular mobile app In solidarity with the demands for the first union contract.

Status of the day: The Washington Post is laying off nearly 30% of its staff, more than 300 journalists

Washington Post lays off hundreds of employees On Wednesday, the former editor-in-chief said these “were among the darkest days” in the paper’s history. Approximately 30% of employees were affected. “This is a bloodbath,” one employee said. The Post is owned by Jeff Bezos. net worth Amazon’s company, which has more than $244 billion in revenue, has also faced criticism for spending nearly $75 million to acquire and promote a documentary about Melania Trump; especially after Bezos faced accusations that he was cozying up to Trump by eliminating the Post’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris for the presidency last fall.

Filter Suggestions: Nine Valentine’s Day gifts Americans haven’t figured out yet

“Sometimes I think Valentine’s Day is a stale, capitalist holiday exclusive to the United States, and then my coal-black heart remembers that love exists everywhere,” writes Karen Yuan for Filter. Here are some gift ideas that Americans may not know but should.

Don’t miss this: With nine movies on the go, can Charli xcx act?

The Moment is already being positioned as Charli xcx’s transition from pop to the big screen. But this is just one of nine upcoming films from the British pop icon. Simran Hans asks: Why is it that everything suddenly appears everywhere, seemingly at the same time? So can he act?

Climate control: Landslides on one side, floods on the other – a Costa Rican village desperately trying to escape the climate crisis

The community in La Carpio lives wedged between the unstable banks of the Río Torres and a steep hillside. Every time it rains, people face a double risk: on one side, the river swells, on the other, landslides. With the climate crisis exacerbating extreme weather conditions in Costa Rica and government action stalling, families are now making plans to move elsewhere.

Last Thing: ‘My quest to be a black father who can do his daughter’s hair’

“For me and many other Black men, hair care begins and ends at the barbershop,” writes Lanre Bakare. But as her daughters grew older, “I took it upon myself to learn the basics of caring for their hair”; This also provides an opportunity to connect.

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